NubAbility Athletics is so thankful for Jim Abbott's continued inspiration! Sam (founder and upper limb amputee) got his first Jim Abbott baseball card 18 years ago and is now a freshman pitcher for Greenville College. He started NubAbility Athletics Foundation to encourage, inspire and instruct limb different kids who desire to compete in organized sports against 4-limbed athletes. Check it out!

Paige Edwards (a HHF member since she was a baby) has never been the type to turn away from any task. "I'm not one of those people who likes to be held back." So she never let the fact that she was born without the fingers on her right hand hold her back."I was born that way so I adapted to it," Paige said.Now she's re-adapting: practicing everyday tasks many of us take for granted, like folding laundry and pouring a drink, with the help of her new bionic fingers. The electronic hand is battery operated. She controls the motions and the grips using sensors inside. "It was something I dreamed about but I never thought it would happen in my lifetime," Paige said.

Once again, Rhode Island families ROCK! Fat Belly's (Scott Parker) hosted their 4th annual golf tournament on September 12, 2011 at Potowomut Golf Club. Again this year, they proudly supported Helping Hands Foundation with a $2,400 check and praise for the wonderful work we do to support families and children with upper limb differences. A careful and thoughtful review is conducted each year to determine the charities they will support with the proceeds from this tournament. We, again, were fortunate to be chosen.

Once again, our summer outing was well participated by 150+ folks from all over New England and beyond. This year, we began the outing on Saturday with a visit to Rhode Island's McCoy Stadium for a kids' baseball clinic with professional PawSox players followed by a PawSox game vs. Durham. Even though, we didn't win, it was a high scoring game with lots of cheering and sunshine!

I hope you will find this interesting, as I did today. I am fortunate that I can use my "less-able" hand to operate the SHIFT key on my keyboard. But many cannot. It really slows down your typing speed when you have to use the full hand to do that SHIFT key. I have often wished that those who cannot use their 2nd hand for the shift, could put a trackball on the ground, and program a button to the the SHIFT. Then, they could use their foot to do SHIFT and mouse functions. But, I have been told for years that it was not possible. Just today I heard from Logitech, who creates an inexpensive trackball, that it can be done! Mind you, I have not tried this, but I am so excited that it might work!